This Week's Top News in Long Beach

Here is a look at some of the top stories this week in Long Beach and Belmont Shore as reported by Patch:

Man Set Afire Outside Long Beach Store Dies: A 63-year-old man died today of burns he suffered when he was set on fire by a flammable substance thrown into his parked vehicle - allegedly by a homeless man - outside a Long Beach 7-Eleven. The victim, whom police identified Monday afternoon as Jerry Payne of Long Beach, died about 2 a.m. at a hospital, said coroner's Chief Craig Harvey.

• Related: Man Charged in Death of Long Beach Man Set Afire

Exclusive: Rescuer Tells of Helping Man Set on Fire: Chauffeur Paul Hershey had popped into the Long Beach 7-Eleven between fares on Friday when he suddenly looked outside to see a man in flames, trapped in the driver's seat of a truck. Hershey, a former Air Force officer from Redondo Beach, said he felt stunned as he ran outside to help.

Adequate Security Vowed for Long Beach Grand Prix: The Long Beach mayor and police chief met with media Tuesday afternoon, promising broad and "strong" security for this weekend's Grand Prix security in light of the Boston Marathon attack. "We will again have a strong, multi-faceted security plan in place to deliver the best experience to our visitors," Mayor Bob Foster said.

Court: Former CSULB Student Cuts Off Husband's Penis: Furious that her estranged husband was dating a former girlfriend, a Garden Grove woman drugged her spouse with Ambien, tied him up and as he awoke, severed his penis, tossing it into a garbage disposal, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday.

Ex-Marine Pleads Not Guilty in Gay Bar Attack: A former Marine pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges stemming from an alleged hate crime in which two men were attacked outside a gay bar in Long Beach. John Kelly O'Leary, 21, is charged with one felony count each of battery with serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury.

'Dexter' Announces Season 8 Will be its Final One: It was announced some time ago that Dexter Season 8 would be the final one in the hugely popular series about a serial killer who avenges other serial killers. But the wishful thinking and doubt ended Thursday when Showtime's hit drama announced on the Dexter Facebook page that Season 8 would be its last.

PHOTOS: Sliding Through Formula Drift Long Beach: The first stop of the Formula Drift Championship tour wrapped up on the streets of Long Beach last Saturday to a sold out crowd. Drifting, a relative newcomer to the professional motor sports world, involves drivers maneuvering their vehicles through controlled high speed slides through multiple turns on a course. Drivers are judged on a variety of factors including speed, style, line and angle of their drifts.